Call for justice on death of officers

By Rebecca Kuku Hela police officers killed in Southern Highlands were on official police duty, provincial police commander Michael Welly says. Welly said that the officers had gone to Mt Hagen to buy vehicle parts for police cars in Hela. “There is no place here in Hela that services vehicles, so our officers were sent to purchase vehicles parts to service the vehicles when they were attacked and murdered.” Welly has called on the authorities to fast-track the investigation into the killings so those responsible for the deaths can be arrested. “The families of the two deceased policemen have been demanding answers from us and we have to give them some answers,” he said. “The investigations must be fast-tracked and those responsible must be arrested soon before the situation escalates.” Welly said that he was calling for the investigations to be fast-tracked because the people of Hela were known for their custom of payback killing. “The relatives are showing maturity and saying that they would not engage in their traditional system of payback and are just asking for the arrest of the murders,” he said. “Investigations must be fast-tracked and the culprits arrested as soon as possible. “I also want to thank the leaders from the two officers’ villages that have taken a bold step to say that they would not make pay back killings.”